Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-06-04

Science for the most part and in a
broad sense accepts that which has
been verified or is veriiable, either
by human reason or experience, and
it is not true as was said, that Prof.
Huxley is accustomed to accept every
) day of his life pretended facts on the
merest hearsay evidence and without
proof. True he does not personally
witness every phenomenon that pre-
sents itself in the wide domain of ma
ture, mol does he verify by expert
ment every fact presented for accept
ance, because there are multitudes of
competent observers in the field be-
sides himself, and he knows by ex-
perience that it is safe to accept facts
attested by uniform and trustworthy
evidence.
Science believes implicitly in the
past, present and future constancy of
natures processes ,andthe uniform Sc
quence of cause and effect. The func-
ton ascribed to faith by the preacher
in the mercantile transactions of the
world was %singularly inaccurate and
misleading, for while men do employ
bank checks for the transaction of
business, it is not because of their
blind faith in checks as checks, but
because of their personal knowledge
of the men behind the checks.
Science does not deny the existence
of a supreme energy in the world, not
of ourselves, that makes for righteous
ness, and it recognizes the religious
instinct in man as a permanent and
inseparable part of his nature, and re-
CARDS the great systems of religion in
the world as the legitimate outgrowth
of that instinct, only it hesitates to
admit that one of these systems alone
is infallibly true, and all the others
false and pernicious, but rather that
each ofthem has been helpful in pro-
portion to the human needs to which
they have administered. 1t may be
true that many of the tenets of theol-
Ogy, such as the "incarnation," the
"trinity in unity" Classification by
faith" ETC., mean simply nothing at
all when addressed to the scientific
faculty, because they lie beyond its
ken, and are totally unverifable by
any of the processes within its reach.
Vain and futile were any attempt to
disparage the mission or stay the
progress Of science in this, which is
by prominence, the scientific age.
She had her ancient and implacable
foe to fight a thousand years, but
within the memory of some men
now living she has planted her ban
ner firmly and has come ostay. She
has no occasion indeed and no inten-
ton to apologize for the skeptical
spirit which has been ascribed to her,
using that term in its original and
legitimate acceptation, for the spirit
ofskepticism and not the spirit of
faith in authority, is the very mother
of investigation and the handmade of
truth, and it is never satisfied till it
has captured a fact, labeled it and
classified it, and laid it away for flu
ture usefulness.
But perhaps it is true, as has been
said, that the spirit of criticism or
skepticism, which is a questioning
spirit, is not the spirit Of faith. That
spirit, on the other hand, is spirit of
teachableness, of humility and sub
mission, and an education of this sort
is no doubt most successful when it
has formed a mind to which difficult
ties are welcome as an opportunity
for the triumph of taith-"which re-
CARDS doubts as temptations to be re-
sisted like thesuggestions of sensuali-
ty, and which, alike inaction or opin-
ion, follows the path prescribed for it
with affectionate and unhesitating
confidence"
OF course herein no attempt has
=, been made to follow the DOCTORS dis
course accurately or Systematically,
since the necessary brevity of our
article for your columns would have
frustrated any such undertaking, moi
has any attempt been made to out.
line it even, but we have, in what
t has been said, endeavored briefly tC
, representa- any rate not to mis-,
~represent-its general spirit, candid.
ly, and with the Difference due a dis.
, tinguished visitor and a learned gen.
= tleman. Very respectfully,
INVISIBLE GREEN.